Grow & Garden

Denver artist paints South Broadway mural to help combat graffiti

By Ally MarottiThe Denver Post

Posted:
08/03/2013 12:01:00 AM MDT

Updated:
08/03/2013 10:06:54 AM MDT

Artist Patrick McGregor works on a mural on the north side of Brushstrokes Studio-Gallery in Denver, part of an effort to deter graffiti taggers from marring private property. "Most graffiti artists, if they're really into art, they won't tag on it," McGregor says. "Hopefully, that'll trickle on down to the new guys coming in." (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)

On a street where graffiti seems never out of the line of sight, one local artist is fighting airbrush with paintbrush.

Patrick McGregor is hand-painting a mural on the side of Brushstrokes Studio-Gallery on South Broadway, in part to deter graffiti artists from tagging the building.

"Most graffiti artists, if they're really into art, they won't tag on it," McGregor said Friday, taking a step back to survey his progress. "Hopefully, that'll trickle on down to the new guys coming in."

Business owners, government officials and community members throughout Denver share concerns about vandalism and are trying to combat rampant tagging.

Denver Public Works removed more than 2.2 million square feet of graffiti in 2012, department spokeswoman Emily Williams said. Besides employing several people who clean up graffiti year-round, Public Works provides graffiti-removal materials to citizens who adopt an area to keep graffiti free.

Federal Boulevard runs through some of the areas hit hardest with graffiti, and Saturday a group of about 200 volunteers will be removing it as part of the Brush Off Community Challenge.

Volunteers will start and end the day at Barnum Park, on Hooker Street. The challenge is happening in conjunction with Denver Days, during which the city encourages citizen community involvement by hosting volunteer activities and block parties across the city.

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Brushstrokes sits at South Broadway and Florida Avenue, located in Denver City Council District 7. Of the city's 11 council districts, District 7 is the fourth-hardest hit by graffiti, Williams said.

"Probably once very couple of weeks, you see all the businesses up and down (South Broadway) got tagged," said John Harrell, one of Brushstrokes' artists and owners. "Everybody needs expression, but I would rather them not do that."

McGregor, who Friday was about six days into painting, doesn't expect to finish until Aug. 17. Remnants of covered-up graffiti are still visible in the shadow of his base coat.

When it's complete, the mural will depict the inside of the studio-gallery, as though a hole were knocked into the side of the building. The mural will extend to the second story of the building and include the sign for Brushstrokes, which is half gallery and half studio.

In his mural, McGregor has begun to re-create some of the paintings that are for sale in the gallery, and eventually, the outdoor artwork will include the likeness of one of Brushstrokes' four owners at an easel.

The owners had been hoping to do something to deter tagging when McGregor approached them about using the space. Experienced in building-sized commercial murals, he wants to make his mark on Denver.

Kelly Berger, another of Brushstrokes' artists and owners, estimated the cost of materials for the mural at about $1,500. They received a $1,000 grant from Denver Arts and Venues' Urban Art Fund program since the project will hopefully deter graffiti, and the gallery will pay the rest.

"It not only deters, it inspires," she said. "We really do genuinely believe that it will inspire the kids in the neighborhood that are tagging ... to respect those buildings."

Some denver days volunteer opportunities and events saturday:

8 a.m.-2 p.m.: Washington Park social event

9 a.m.: volunteers clean graffiti off buildings on federal boulevard

10 a.m.: practice fire escape at the denver firefighters museum

11:30 a.m.: ice cream social for volunteers in barnum park

3-5 p.m.: civic center social event

5-10 p.m.: Union Station social event

Check denvergov.org for more information about other block parties, social events, volunteer opportunities and more.